The deluge 

John Martin, who was active in Britain between 1806 and 1853, produced this oil painting, The Deluge. The painting depicts the moment of destruction when the world was flooded, as told in the Bible. It is a dramatic and emotional painting which expresses ideas about humanity’s relationship to a higher power and the consequences of their actions. Martin was working in a society that was going through significant social and economic change. The Industrial Revolution was transforming Britain, leading to urbanization and new forms of social organization. This rapid change created a sense of uncertainty and anxiety, which is reflected in Martin’s art. Paintings like these drew on popular religious beliefs and anxieties about divine punishment. They commented on the social structures of the time by critiquing what were considered immoral behaviours. As historians, our work is to investigate the meaning of art within its social and institutional context, drawing on a range of primary and secondary resources, from publications and letters to institutional records. In this way, we begin to understand art's function as something contingent on cultural context.